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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26876305">it's nice to have a friend</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/stylostique/pseuds/ladynoirist'>ladynoirist (stylostique)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coffee Shops, F/F, Kagami zine, the title sounds gal pals but the fic is VERY harold</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:15:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>800</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26876305</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/stylostique/pseuds/ladynoirist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette squeezes Kagami’s hand with a smile and slurps up the rest of her tea extra loud, and Kagami doesn’t know how the simplest, silliest gesture can make her relax so much.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>114</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>it's nice to have a friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>my contribution to the gorgeous <a href="https://kagamizine.tumblr.com">kagami tsurugi zine!</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kagami’s phone vibrates from across the living room, but she can hear it in the late morning silence. She puts her book down and climbs out of her armchair, trying not to race across to grab it and reply, even though she knows there are only two people who would call her at this time of the day.</p><p>Her mother is at a board meeting across the city, and the quality of the silence in the apartment reflects her absence. There’s a tension in the air whenever her mother is at home, but now, the warm light shines through the open windows, filling the room with a peace she hasn’t felt for years. Kagami accepts the call and strolls out to the balcony, basking in the gentle sunshine and looking out over the river while her phone’s speaker crackles to life.</p><p>“Hey! It’s Marinette,” chirps a slightly tinny version of a voice which brings her so much more joy than she could ever have thought possible. “I found a really cool new café on Instagram and I was wondering if you wanted to check it out with me!”</p><p>Kagami is so absorbed in soaking in the serenity, the perfection of the moment, that she takes a few seconds to realize she’s neglected to reply to Marinette. She answers in the affirmative and Marinette hangs up, promising to text her the address with a delighted little laugh that warms her heart. </p><hr/><p>It’s a perfect day outside. The skies are crystal clear, but a crisp, cool breeze takes away the intensity of the sun’s heat. Marinette waves at her from the sidewalk in front of the café, resplendent in a brightly colored sundress.</p><p>The café is charmingly cluttered, its bright mid-century furniture contrasting with the Beaux-Arts detailing on its cornices and baseboards. The walls are painted white, but display a bevy of framed artwork, each with little labels crediting their benefactors. One wall in particular has a massive dry-erase board with a cup of brightly colored markers nailed next to it, for café patrons to draw on. And it’s to this board that Marinette skips, snatching up a few markers and capturing their likenesses in a few strokes.</p><p>Marinette is ready to head to the counter to place their order, but Kagami halts her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. She beckons Marinette back to the board, and asks for a selfie. Marinette obliges, snapping a picture with a bright smile Kagami envies and admires, but she’ll later notice that her own face looks far happier than she’s ever seen it.</p><p>They buy their drinks and head to their favorite table, in a semi-enclosed alcove with a large window and a view of the vibrant street. Waving her straw around, Marinette describes a new project of hers, one which she hopes to submit for a contest.</p><p>“How do you do it?” Kagami can’t help herself from asking.</p><p>“Do what?” Marinette frowns a little, but with open curiosity.</p><p>Kagami bites her lip and stares down into her cup. The tapioca balls are barely visible below the tea, but she can feel their rubbery texture as she stirs her straw anxiously, bumping the balls around, never letting them settle.</p><p>“Just—” Kagami frowns to herself. She finds it cruelly ironic that she never hesitates, except when she’s asking the important questions. “How can you be so committed to your craft, so accomplished, so competitive, but still really… connect with people?”</p><p>Marinette’s face softens and she lets go of her cup to lay her hand on Kagami’s.</p><p>“You’re too hard on yourself,” she says. “You know, before this year, I didn’t have many friends either. I was actually really, really lonely.” The flicker of sadness in Marinette’s eyes tells her that Marinette is telling the truth, that she’s not plying her with meaningless platitudes, the kind that Mother would scorn.</p><p>“These things take time,” Marinette continues, “Time, and friends, and now you’ve got both.” She squeezes Kagami’s hand with a smile, and slurps up the rest of her tea extra loud, and Kagami doesn’t know how the simplest, silliest gesture can make her relax so much.</p><p>“Do you have to go home soon?” Marinette asks. Kagami shakes her head, and Marinette brightens. </p><p>“Let’s take a walk!” she says. </p><p>She grabs Kagami’s hand and leads her down the street, humming and pointing out pieces of art, interesting posters, things which Kagami wouldn’t have noticed at all if it weren’t for the wonderful girl right next to her. </p><p>Kagami was always apprehensive about Paris. She’d thought the movies were too good to be true, and she may have been right in some ways. She may still miss Tokyo so much that it hurts, but she’d never give up the feeling of Marinette’s hand in hers for anything.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>the zine is available for free <a href="http://kagamizine.tumblr.com/post/631073246951948288/after-months-of-work-the-zine-is-finally-here-i">here!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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